A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shakes Southern California; officials say aftershocks are expected

Screenshot from USGS

The map shows the shock wave that the earthquake left through Southern California.

Sloane Bozzi, Emily Holshouser, and Logan Bik
September 18, 2020

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook Southern California around 11:40 p.m. on Friday.

The epicenter was near South El Monte, according to the USGS; the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 miles.

There has not been any reported damage or injuries at this time, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. However, they have warned residents to be prepared for aftershocks.

The ShakeAlert LA app — designed by the city of Los Angeles that is designed to alert residents to any earthquakes “larger than a 4.0 magnitude or Level IV Intensity” — sent an alert about the earthquake and subsequent alerts warning of possible aftershocks.

The app does not alert residents prior to the earthquake but after the earthquake has started, according to the City.

This earthquake comes two months after the 4.2-magnitude earthquake shook the San Fernando Valley last July early in the morning.

The USGS event report asks citizens to be prepared for another earthquake, adding that there is a 5% chance of one or more aftershocks larger than tonight’s 4.6-magnitude quake in the next week.

Lucy Jones, a leading expert on earthquakes, told ABC7 that there have been two aftershocks so far: a magnitude 2.1 and 1.6 quake.

County Officials take this time to remind residents to be prepared with an emergency kit for when natural disasters occur.

If you felt the shake, USGS is asking for you to report your experience here.

 

Editor’s note: The story was updated at 1:17 a.m. on Sept. 19 to reflect USGS’s magnitude rating, and at 9:57 a.m. for style.